The Portland daily press., 1887-02-25
DR.. PowELL's LECTURE.
"An Unfinished Work, or the Negro
Problem,

A large and intelligent audience greeted
the Rev. James Powell, ID. d., of New York.
at City Hall last evening, on the occasion OF
his lecture in the Y. NJ. c. A. Course on
IAN Unfinished Work, or the Negro Prob
iem." The lecturer was, gracefully intro
duced by Mr.. A. G. Dewey, president of the
Association. We give the following synop-
sis of the interesting remarks made by the
lecturer
An unfinished work is evidence either of
folly or weakness. The war that freed the
slaves gave us our negro problem. BY their
emancipation and acknowledgements we have
placed ourselves under both legal and NOR
al obligation to see that they are qualified for
the duties to which they have thus been
called Citizenship in a republic demands
Intelligence and integrity in the citizen
Slavery had held the negro in ignorance and
forced him to be dishonest. No wonder
that we hear of their moral weaknesses
What else could be expected from people
with such history behind them? Giving
the colored people the ballot was from one
standpoint the most stupendous piece of
folly, from another standpoint the sublimest
piece Of wisdom, in all the history of states
manship. 1t IS our duty to prove that it was
wisdom Christian education will solve the
problem. The political power of the negroes
calls for education. They constitute one
seventh OF our national population. They
are one-third of the population of the South
ern States. In five of the great empire States
of the South they are $4,000 more than 3,0oO-
900. While the whites are 100000 less than
100000. The South elects 30 Senators
and 40 Representatives to our National
Congress. We may not interfere with local
legislation in the States but when it comes
to national legislation it is our duty to know
the character Of the power our national leg
lslators represent and ii we find that power
to be In the hands of ignorant voters it is our
duty to see that the evil is remedied. If the
negro does not vote or II he does and his
vote is not counted it is condition of things
that cannot always continue-the power Is
too vast to remain always inactive and too
dangerous to be left blind.
The material power represented by the
negroes urges us to educate them. They are
the laborers Of the South. Skilled labor is a
blessing-unskilled a curse. The greatest
material power is always to be found where
there is the greatest intellectual power. The
progress OF the negroes in material wealth
mas been marvellous At the New Orleans
Exposition all the branches of industry and
invention were represented by the work of
negroes.
The speaker gave great many illustra-
tlcns OF wealthy negroes in the United States
particularly referring to one colored man in
Louisiana who is worth over million dol
lars! contrast was drawn between the
North and the South, tand it was shown
what the South needed was skilled labor and
an equal chance for blacks and whites alike.
The moral and intelligent power represented
Dy the negroes urged the same duty The
negroes are naturally reverent, imaginative.
emotional and musical. These characteristics
under culture produce q fine type of Chris
tlan manllood-left in ignorance they
deyelope into superstition. The negroes are
under the lead of ignorant preachers. They
must not be left there. We must give them
educated leaders-ministers LAWYERS phv-
Slclans and teachers who shall show them
how to take care of themselves The
strength of nation Is in the Righteousness
OF its people. God is no respecter of persons
and the prayer and character of black man
counts for as much as the prayer and charac-
Ter q any other at the court OF heaven.
All this power-political material, moral
and intellectualis rapidly increasing power.
between 1870 and 1880 our white population
increased IS per cent, our negro population
"a per cent What we do must be done quick
iy. This black car in the train of our civil
izatlon must not be neglected. if it goes off
the track there is danger to the whole train.
FOR veal or for woe black and white are
together. The war for the : maintenance of
the Union has given us this work to finish.
by all the sacrifices Of blood and treasure
the nation has made to preserve the Union
ana abolish slavery we are bound to finish
the work the end of that war began so that
as Lincoln said, government of the people.
by the people and for the people shall not
perish from the earth.'